1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pick-up truck accessory storage structure and, more particularly, to a new and improved lid to provide easier and greater access to the storage enclosure.
2. Description of Related Art
Pick-up trucks have become an increasingly common mode of transportation, even in urban areas. It has been widely reported that the largest selling single vehicle model in the United States is the Ford "F" Series truck. A common accessory for pick-up trucks is a storage box. This storage box is mounted on the walls that enclose the bed of the pick-up truck. It extends across the width of the bed of the pick-up truck. Ordinarily, these boxes do not extend all the way to the floor of the bed of the pick-up truck, but terminate a few inches above the floor of the bed of the pick-up truck. This allows long flat items like 2.times.4's to use the full length of the pick-up truck bed for carrying or storage. Most commonly, tools or other valuable items are carried within this storage box and the storage box has a lock on its lid.
These truck storage boxes are commonly constructed of some metal or plastic material. The metal boxes are more durable and rigid and are seen in commercial applications. High-impact plastic boxes are often sold for the mass market in such stores as Wal-Mart, Advance Auto Parts, or the like, and are more commonly used by individuals than in commercial applications. The plastic storage boxes have the advantage of lighter construction. Therefore, the lid on the plastic boxes will oftentimes be hinged on a lengthwise axis of the truck storage box that is closest to the truck cab. Therefore, the lid will open across the entire lengthwise dimension of the truck storage box. This lid makes it easier to store lengthy and bulky items in the box. Essentially, if an item will fit within the box, it will fit within the opening created by a lengthwise lid.
Metal storage boxes frequently have a different lid construction. A metal lid opening entirely along the lengthwise dimension of the pick-up truck storage box may be too heavy to be easily opened by someone standing on the outside of the truck bed. The usual lid opening arrangement for metal boxes are to have two lids that hinge in the middle on a line bisecting the lengthwise dimension of the storage box. If both of these lids are opened at once, they swing open in a wing-like manner and rest against each other on a line that approximately bisects the length of the storage box and extends across the width of the storage box. A user standing outside of the truck bed to the side near either door of the truck can lift and open one of the lids and remove or place items within the truck storage box. However, large or bulky items can be difficult to place within the box because the lengthwise dimension of the box is necessarily bisected by a fixed piece on which the lids are hinged. Thus, only one-half of the top of the box is exposed by opening either of the lids. This restricts the size and shape of what can be placed through the lid opening into the box.
A variety of devices have been devised to improve the standard pick-up truck storage box. For example, in the Bonstead et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,330 a multi-piece box is disclosed that is designed for adjustable size and easily disassembly. A three-piece box with a removable middle piece is disclosed. This device adjusts from wide to narrow pick-up truck beds by removing or replacing the middle piece.
Trahms U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,150 discloses a truck storage box having a center compartment with an accessory lid accessible through the rear window of an associated pick-up truck. This provides access to a part of the storage box from the truck cab, access not available with conventional designs.
Other devices disclose other accessories or modifications of the pick-up truck bed to improve or change the storage capacity. For example, the Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,264 discloses an improved cargo bed with moveable panels to convert the cargo bed from a fully opened to a partially enclosed bed. The partial enclosure is secure and weather resistent. The Tackett U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,916 discloses a molded shell fitting within the entire pick-up truck bed. It is less than the full height of the side walls. This permits large flat objects to be placed on the top of the enclosure. This invention has two doors--one that opens the entire enclosure and one that opens the rear one-third.
Other patents deal with different types of openings that hinge in more than one direction. For example, the Lindberg U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,641 discloses an arm rest that opens along the width and along the length of the arm rest. The Hopkins U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,656 discloses an oven that hinges both on the side of the oven and hinges in a conventional fashion at the bottom of the oven opening to open along a lengthwise dimension of the oven opening. The Spevak U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,492 discloses an article supporting container with a pivotally mounting lid that serves to hold and display items as well as to close and latch the container.
Despite all of this prior work, conventional truck storage box lids have significant disadvantages. If a truck storage box is equipped with the gull wing lids that hinge and opens in the middle of the box, then these lids are easily opened and accessible from the outside of the truck bed near both the left and right hand doors of the pick-up truck cab. However, very bulky or lengthy items are difficult to place within the truck storage box because of the restricted size of the opening. If a truck storage box is equipped with a lid that hinges on the lengthwise dimension of the box in proximity to the truck cab, then the entire lid may be opened along the lengthwise dimension exposing the entire top of the truck storage box. However, for a metal truck storage box it will be difficult or even impossible for a small person to open this lid unless standing in the truck bed. The lids are too heavy to be easily opened by a person standing outside of the truck bed near the left or right hand door of the truck cab. Moreover, the weight of the lid places great stress on the box lid unless it has an underlying frame or support which, again, adds to the weight of the entire truck lid.